Valve actuating mechanism



June 11, 1935.

F. G. THwArrs VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed June 26, 1955 INYENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 11, 1935 UNITED TAITES' VALVE .AOTUATING MECHANISMFrederick G;,'.lhwaits, Wauwatosa, Wis asaignor to The Hell 00.,Milwaukee, Wis a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 26, 1933,Serial No. 677,671

This invention relates-in general to improvements in the constructionand operation of mechanism for effecting the actuation of fluiddispensing valves from a point or station located remote from thevalves.

Generally defined, an object of the invention is to provide improvedvalve actuating mechanism which is simple and compact in construction,and which is moreover flexible and highly eflicient in operation.

Some of the'more specific objects of the invention are as follows:

To provide improved means for controlling one or more valves associatedwith a liquid dispensing tank or receptacle, from a readily accessiblepoint located remote from the valve orvalves.

To provide improved mechanism disposed excontrolled by the valve orvalves.

To provide an improved liquid dispensing valve structure which may beconveniently manually operated under normal conditions, and which willbe automatically actuated under other conditions.

v To provide a flexible valve controlling system wherein commonoperating means 'may be utilized to actuate any or all of a plurality offluid dispensi valves associated with the several storage mpartments ofa tank or other type of reservoir. i

To provide an improved packing for a reciprocable valve actuating stem,and improved mechanism for transmitting reciprocatory motion to a. valveor the like.

To provide improved regulating and control mechanism especiallyapplicable to the dispensing valves of a. multiple compartment liquidtransporting tank truck.

These and other objects and advantages ofthe improvement, will beapparent from the following, detailed description. g

A clear conception of embodiments of the several features of, theinvention, and of the mode of constructing and ofoperating valveactuating mechanisms built in accordance with the improvement, may behad by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification in which like reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a four compartment tanktruck having the improved control valve system applied thereto;

8 Claims. (01. 131-21) Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the tank shown in Fig.1, showing the arrangement of. the valves, and the piping leadingtherefrom;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse horizontal section through one of thevalve mechanisms, taken along the line ,3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged central vertical section. through thevalve mechanism, taken along the line 4-4 of- Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the mechanism for controlling theactuation of the valves from the rear of the truck; and

Fig. 6 is a sideview oi the valve control mechanism, showing the same invalve closing position in full lines, and in valve opening position indotand-dash lines.

While the invention has been specifically shown and described herein asbeing applied to a fluid dispensing valve system for tank trucks it isnot intended to limit the same by such specific disclosure, since someof the features are obviously more generally applicable to other typesof valves and systems.

Referring to the typical tank truck and fluid dispensing system shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the truck is of the usual construction comprising achassis l0 carried by wheels II, and having a receptacle or tank l2mounted thereon rearwardly oi the driver's cab l3. The tank I2 isdivided by partitions I 4 into a series of segregated compartments I5,I.6,. l1, l8, each having an upper manhole normally closed by a coverl9, and a lower filling and dispensing opening provided with a valvestructure 20. Each of the dispensing openings is communicable with afluid conducting pipe .2l all of which extend rearwardly beneath thetank l2 and are provided with the usual dispensing faucets 22, and therear end of the tank I2 is also provided with a valve control mechanism,housing 23 accessible through the usual rear doors 2|.

The improved filling and dispensing valve structure 20, associated witheach compartment l5, I6, l1, I8, is shown-in detail in Figs.- 3 and 4,and comprises a frame member 25 having an annular valve seating 26 and achamber 21 below the seating communicable laterally with the adjacentpipe 2|; a disk valve 28 cooperable with the seating 26 and having astem 29 guided in the frame member 25; a helical compression spring 30which constantly urges the valve 28 toward the seating 25 and the upperend of which reacts against a cap 3| also providing a guide for thevalve stem 29; and mechanism within the chamber 21 for u operating thevalve 28 in opposition to the spring 38.

The frame members are attached directly to the walls of the tank l2 inany suitable manner, and the caps 3| are detachably secured to integralprojections 32 of the frame member. these projections being surroundedby screens 33 for straining the liquid flowing-from the compartments I5,l6, l1, 18 toward the valve seatings 26. Each of the valves 28 isprovided with a renewable facing, and. the mechanism for operating eachof these valves, comprises a bell-crank 34 pivotally supported by theframe member 25 within the chamber 21 and having one and cooperable withthe lower end of the valve stem 29, and another arm loosely pivotallyattached to an element 35 which is carried by a reciprocable rod 36. Therods 36 are horizontally slidable in sealing caps 31 reversibly securedto the frame members 25 and having cable supports 38 associatedtherewith, and the joints between the rods 36 and the frame members 25are sealed by means of expansible and contractible accordion or bellowstype sealing elements 39 the opposite ends of which are permanentlyattached to the elements 35 and to the caps 31 or members 25respectively. Located within the housing 23 at the rear of the tank l2and remote from the valve structures 28, is the manually andautomatically operable valve control mechanism which is shown in Figs. 5and 6. This mechanism comprises a bracket 48 mounted upon a fixedcross-bar 4| having a horizontal shaft 42 journalled therein; four arms43 releasably attached to the shaft 42 by means of screw threadedlocking pins 44; a pivot pin 45 also journalled in the bracket 48centrally of and beneath the shaft 42; a pair of toggle links 46, 41pivotally connected to each other by a pin 48 and one of which isrigidly attached to the pivot pin 45; a manually operable lever 49 alsorigidly attached to the pin 45; an arm 58 pivotally attached to theother link 41 by a pin 5| andpermanently secured to the center of theshaft 42; and a weight 52 cooperable with the pivot pin 45 for automaticactuation of the mechanism. I

The lower swinging end of each of the arms 43 is pivotally attached toone end of a longitudinally rigid'but laterally flexible cable 53, by aconnector, and the opposite end of each of these cables 53,"*"is securedto one of the reciprocable valve actuating rods 36 by means of aconnector 55as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These cables 53 are concealedwithin tubular casings 56 attached to the supports 38 and to the bracket48 respectively, and these casings may be gradually curved at the bendstherein, so as to permit free reciprocation of the cables 53therethrough. When the locking pins 44 are adjusted to connect the arms43 to the shaft 42, oscillation of this shaft by virtue of the springand hydraulic pressures acting downwardly thereon, but when this lever49 is swung into dot-and-dash line position, the toggle links 46, 41 arecarried over the toggle center and the arm 58 is swung upwardly to cause'the.shaft 42 to rotate sufficiently to open those valves 28 which areoperatively connected to this shaft by their locking pins 44. The lowertoggle link 46 then engages an adjustable stop screw 51 carried by thebracket 48, and the toggle remains in valve open position untilreleased. The releasing of the toggle and consequent closing of all ofthe open valves 28, may be effected in either of three ways, the mostcommon of which is to merely manually swing the hand lever 49 fromdot-and-dash to full line position of Fig. 6.

Mounted in the central ears of the bracket 48, is a shaft '58 having aneccentric or crank portion movable in the plane of swing of the togglelinks 46, 41, and this shaft 58 is oscillatable from a remote point suchas the cab l3, by a lever and suitable cranks and connections, in a wellknown manner. The crank portion of the shaft 58 does ,not ordinarilyinterfere with the free actuation quickly close these valves, and toreturn the hand lever 49 to valve closed position. This shaft 58therefore constitutes the second manual mode or mechanism for closingall of the valves 28.

The weight 52 which constitutes the third agency for closing the valves28, operates automatically and in emergency cases such as by exposure ofthe control mechanism to fire or excessive heat. The pivot pin 45 has areduced and 59 upon which the weight 52 is normally loosely supported,and the weight has a quadrant lug 68 formed integral therewith andcoacting with the reduced end 59 of the pivot pin 45 as shown in Fig. 6.The upper extremity'of the weight 52 is suspended from a bracket 6secured to an upper wall of the tank 12, by a fusible link 62, and thequadrant lug 68 does not normally interfere with free oscillation of thepivot pin 45 sufficiently to permit opening and closing of the valves 28by means of the lever 49. If, however, the link 62 is ruptured throughany cause, the weight 52 will drop and thequadrant lug 68 will be swungabout the axis of the pivot pin 45 in a counterclockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 6, to such an extent that the left face of the lug 6.8will strike the top face of the reduced pin end 59 and will rotate thepin 45 and lever 49 into valve closed position in case these elementsare otherwise positioned at that time.

During normal transportation of the tank l2, all of the valve structures28 will be in closed condition and the lever 49 will be in verticalposition as shown in Fig. 1. opened, the lever 49 may be swungrearwardly to simultaneously open those valves 28, the locking pins 44of which are effective, to permit either filling or draining of thecompartments I5, l6, l1, l8 through the faucets 22 and the pipes 2|. Theopen valves 28 may subsequently be simultaneously closed, bymanipulation of either the lever 49 on crank shaft 58, and will beautomatically closed by the weight 52 in case the link 62 is melted orotherwise ruptured. Any one or more of the valve structures 28 may beconveniently connected to' or disconnected from the actuating shaft 42,and the stop 51 may be readily adjusted to insure complete opening ofthe valves 28. The cables 53 may be extended to cooperate with valvestructures 28 located at any place remote from the operators station,and the bellows sealing element 39 provides for effective sealing aroundthe When the doors 24 aresliding bearing ofthe rod 36 so as topositively eliminate all leakage. The use of the cables 53 obviouslyprovides a simple and compact valve actuating system, and the valvestructure 20 is also of simple and compact construction. The pipes 2|may be disposed and-arranged in any convenient manner, and the entiredispensing system is obviously simple and highly efficient in use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact details of construction and to the precise mode of operationherein shown and described for various modifications within the scope ofthe claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:-

1'. In combination, a receptacle comprising a plurality ofcompartments'each having a. fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each ofsaid outlets, means for automatically closing each of said valves, arock-shaft disposed remote from said valves, independent motiontransmitting mechanism connecting each of said valves with saidrock-shaft, a lever, a toggle interposed between said lever and saidrock-shaft, said rock-shaft being movable by said lever through saidtoggle to open said valves and said toggle serving to lock said valvesin open position, and automatically operable means other than said leverfor releasing said toggle to permit said automataic valve closing meansto act.

2. In combination, a receptacle comprising a plurality ofcompartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each ofsaid outlets, spring means for automatically closing each of said valvesindependently oi the others, a

' rock-shaft disposed at one end of said receptacle mechanisms of whichare operatively connected with said rock-shaft, and automaticallyoperable means other than said lever for automatically moving saidrock-shaft to permit said automatic valve closing means to act.

3. In combination, a receptacle comprisinga plurality of compartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each of said outlets,spring'ineans for automatically closing each i of said valvesindependently of the others, a rockshaft disposed near one end of saidreceptacle remote from saidvalves, motion independent transmittingmechanism normally connecting each of I said valves with saidrock-shaft, manually operable means for readily selectivelydisconnecting said mechanisms from said rock-shaft to permit the springmeans of the corresponding valve to maintain said valve closed, a lever,a toggle interposed between said lever and said rock-shaft, saidrock-shaft being movable by said lever through said toggle to open saidvalves the motion transmitting mechanisms of which are operatively ccmected with said rock-shaft and said toggle serving to lock the saidvalves in open position, and automatically operable means other thansaid lever for automatically releasing the lock afforded by said toggleto permit said automatic valve closing means to act. i

4.'In combination, a receptacle comprising a plurality of compartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each of said outlets,means for automatically closing each of said valves, a rock-shaftdisposed at the rear end of said receptacle remote from said valves,independent motion transmitting mechanism connecting each of said valveswith said rock-shaft, a pivotally supported lever, a toggle interposedbetween said lever and said rock shaft, said rockshaft being movable bysaid lever through said toggle to open said valves and said toggleserving to lock said valves in open position, and a weight cooperabledirectly with the pivot of said lever to automatically release saidtoggle to permit said automatic valve closing means to act.

5. In combination, a receptacle comprising a plurality of compartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each of said outlets,spring means for automatically closing each of said valves independentlyof the others, a rock-shaft disposed at one end of said receptacleremote from said valves; independent motion transmitting mechanismnormally connecting each of said valves with said rock-shaft beneathsaid receptacle, manually operable means for said rock-shaft beingmovable by said lever through said toggle to open said valves themotiontransmitting mechanisms of which are operatively connected withsaid rock-shaft and said toggle serving to lock the said valves in openposition, and a weight cooperable directly with the pivot of said leverto automatically release the lock afforded by said toggle to permit saidautomatic valve closing means to act.

6. In combination, a receptacle comprising a plurality of compartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each of said outlets,means for automatically closing each of said valves, a rock-shaftdisposed at one end of said receptacle remote from said valves,independent motion transmitting mechanism connecting each of said valveswith said rock-shaft, a pivotally supported lever, a toggle interposedbetween said lever and said rock-shaft, said rock-shaft being movable bysaid lever through said toggle to simultaneously open said, valves andsaid toggle serving to lock said valvesin open position, a weightmounted upon the pivot 01' said lever,.and means associated with saidweight for automatically rei-easing the same to thereby automaticallyrelease said toggle so as to permit said automatic valve closing meansto act.

'7. In combination, a receptacle comprising a plurality of compartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each of said outlets,spring means for, automatically closing each of said valvesindependently of the others,,a rockshaft disposed at one endof saidreceptacle remote-from all of said valves, independent motion Itransmitting mechanismincluding cables and lev erable means for readilyselectively disconnecting said connecting l vers from said rock-shaft topermit the spring cans of the corresponding valve to maintain said valveclosed, a lever for 4- g said rock-shaft, and automatically operablemeans other than said lever for automatically moving said rock-shaft topermit said automatic valve closing means to act.

8. In combination. a receptacle comprising a plurality of compartmentseach having a fluid outlet, an emergency valve for each of said outlets,spring means for automatically closing each of said valves independentlyof the others, a rockshaft disposed at one end of said receptacle remotefrom all of said valves, independent motion transmitting mechanismincluding cables and levers connecting the ends of said cables with saidvalves and with 'said rock-shaft, manually operable means for readilyselectively disconnecting said connecting levers from said rock-shaft topermit the spring means of the corresponding valve to maintain saidvalve closed, a lever, a toggle interposed between said lever and saidrock-shaft, said rock-shaft being movable by said lever through saidtoggle to open said valves the motion transmitting mechanisms of whichare operatively connected with said rock-shaft and said toggle servingto lock the said valves in open position, and automatically operablemeans other than said lever for automatically releasing the lockafforded by said toggle ,to permit said automatic valve closing means toact.

FREDERICK G. THWAIT S.

